Cisco To Invest $60 Million In 'Digital India'

Cisco has announced plans to invest up to $60 million in the country to support ‘Digital India’ mission. The networking giant that’s bullish on Smart Cities, Make in India and skill development initiatives has announced a number of local initiatives in the country.

In a statement, the company stated that it is looking to $20 million over the next five years into the Cisco Networking Academy, with an additional $40 million for the next phase of expansion in India. On manufacturing front, the networking giant said it will use its global supply chain expertise to help build and accelerate the manufacturing ecosystem in India.

“To help accelerate the development of India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem, Cisco will organise the Cisco Design and Innovation Conference in Bengaluru in February next year, to bring together over 75 of Cisco’s key suppliers and partners to drive collaboration on product development and IoE enabled supply chain technology,” the company said.

In addition, Cisco will expand the Cisco Networking Academy programme, and will contribute up to $20 million to train an additional 120,000 students in India by 2020. The skills-development programme is a cloud-delivered programme that helps students learn how to design, build, secure and maintain computer networks. Approximately 100,000 Indian students have been trained since its inception.

Cisco also announced an $40 million investment towards the expansion of its India facility. Spread over 4 million square feet, and designed as a campus-as-a-city for thousands of Cisco employees, “the Cisco Smart City is a spectacular showcase of the future of smart and connected communities in India.”

Cisco will start with manufacturing of products for broadband infrastructure.

John Chambers, the outgoing Chairman and CEO, Cisco, who has met the digitally-savvy PM Narendra Modi a number of times during his India visits said, “We are investing big in India. I have deep admiration for the country, as it truly understands the importance of digitisation and the impact it will have. We came to India for the quality of the workforce. We invested in innovation, which is now transforming industries.

Cisco is committed to partnering with India’s government to translate the Digital India vision into reality. I believe that India’s entrepreneurial spirit, highly skilled workforce and supportive government will accelerate the country’s digital transformation.”

“Today’s announcements underscore India’s strategic importance to Cisco’s global operations particularly as an innovator in the next wave of the Internet’s development. Cisco has made significant investments in India since we established operations in the country in 1995 and today’s announcement will lay the foundation for the next chapter in Cisco’s development in India,” Dinesh Malkani, President, Cisco India and SAARC, added.

Chuck Robbins, incoming CEO said, “The Indian government’s vision for a Digital India is truly transformative and will create huge opportunities for the country and its citizens. Cisco believes our renewed local investments, global expertise, and world-class innovation will accelerate the government’s vision to create sustainable competitiveness and prosperity. We are deeply committed to partnering with India to achieve their digital vision.”

While many believe CIO's role is evolving and that he's occupying a key place in the boardroom, a recent study brings to light that more than half of the CIO, CTO or IT admin staff (55%) are not thanked by colleagues for carrying out essential IT tasks on their behalf.